Split pulley.



No. 656,944. Patented Aug. 23, 1900:. w. A. CLARK.

SPLIT PULLEY.

(Application. filed Dec. 7, 1899.)

No Model.)

No. 656,944. Patented Aug. 28, I900. W. A. CLARK. SPLITPULLEY.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet z.

nirnn *rnrns PATENT OFFr.

\VILLIAM A. CLARK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPLIT PU LLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,944, dated August 28, 1900. Application filed December 7, 1899 Serial No. 739,477. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Split or Divided Pulleys, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a strong and durable split or divided pulley of simple and cheap construction, possessing great rigidity and stiffness when in place on a shaft, readily applicable to or removable from its shaft or other supporting-journal, and light in weight.

In carrying out my invention I preferably make the face or belt-receiving portion of the pulley of sheet metal of the requisite width and ofa length corresponding to the desired circumference of the'pulley, the thickness of the sheet depending on the diameter of the pulley. This piece or strip is bent into annularfornnand its endsare united to the outer ends of two separable arms, the inner ends of said arms being united in suitable manner to the interior of the face portion midway between its ends. Two semicircular stiffening and supporting webs are attached throughout their length to the face portion and at their ends to the arms, the latter at their inner ends being contiguous. Midway between their ends the arms are oppositely concaved to form seats which receive the shaft or a bushing interposed between them and the shaft, as desired, the spring or elasticity of the face portion permitting the separation of the outer ends of the arms when applying or removing the pulley. The width of the arms is preferably equal to the width of the face portion to provide greater strength and stifiness, and the arms are also preferably probe hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a divided pulley embodying one form of myinvention, the arms of the pulley being separated. Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of my invention to be described. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the pulley shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the manner in which the pulley may be conveniently applied to the shaft by means of an interposed bushing. Fig. dis a partial sectional detail on the line 00 00, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of one of the ends of the arm shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and Fig. 6 is a similardetail of a channel-iron arm illustrated in Fig. 2.

In constructing a pulley in accordance with my present invention I form the face or beltreceiving portion F of a strip of sheet metal of the desired thickness and width and of a length corresponding to the circumference of the pulley to be made, said face portion being bentinto annular form, but not united at its ends, and is preferably a single piece. I prefer also for the sake of increasing the stiffness and strength of the face portion to provide the same at its longitudinal edges with inturned flanges f. (See Figs. 1, 3, and 1.)

Two semicircular and oppositely-located supporting-webs F are secured to the inner face of the annular part F of the pulley, preferably by means of a lateral flange f on the outer circumference of each web riveted or otherwise permanently secured, as at 5, Fig. 1, to the belt-receiving portion F to stiffen and support the latter throughout the length of the two Webs, the latter, as best shown in Fig. 3, closely approaching each other at their ends when the pulley is in place upon a shaft or other journal on which it is to be mounted.

The free ends of the face or belt-receiving portion F of the pulley are attached to the outer ends of two separable arms A, preferably by riveting said face portion to out wardly-turned transverse lips or flanges a (see dotted lines, Fig.1) by suitable rivets 6, (see Figs. 3 and 4B,) the inner or opposite ends of the arms being brought together as near as possible and also having outturned transverse flanges a (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) to be riveted to the inner surface of the belt portion F. 'The spring or elasticity of the sheet-metal face portion of the pulley will normally maintain it in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the outer ends of the arms separated; but when the pulley is in place upon a shaft the arms will be brought together, as shown in Fig. 3, and held clamped upon the pulley, as will be described. Between their ends the arms are provided with oppositely-concaved seats a to receive directly the shaft or a bushing interposed between the shaft and the seats, if desired, as shown in Fig. 3, and the portions a oflhe.

arms adjacent their ends are in alinement, so that when the pulley is clamped in position such parts a of the arms will impinge one upon the other, being held in such clamped position by suitable bolts 7, Fig. 3, extended through suitable holes 8 in the arms and held in place by check-nuts 9.

Between the straight portions a of the arms and the seats said arms are bent to diverge toward the center of the pulley, as at o so that when the pulley is in position, as in Fig. 3, said divergent portions a of the arms can be drawn toward each other by suitable clamping-bolts a to firmly clamp the pulley upon its shaft or other device to which it is to be attached. This construction provides for a certain springiness of the arms, permitting a very tight clamping of the pulley in place, yet by very simple means. The ends of the supporting Webs F are preferably secured to the arms, and in order to increase the strength and stiffen the arms longitudinally I prefer to provide them each with one 'or more longitudinal ribs running from one to the other end thereof substantially on their outer sides, a single stiffening rib or flange, as a being shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the supporting-webs F being attached to the stiffening-rib by rivets 10. The arm shown in said Figs. 1, 3, and at is substantially a T-iron which can be conveniently used for the purpose, and the pulley so constructed will be sufiiciently stiff for moderate diameters.

'It will be manifest that a pulley constructed as hereinbefore set forth will be very light in weight, strong and durable, yet Very rigid, and capable of easy application to or removal from a shaft.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a bushing B interposed beween the shaft B and the seats a in the pulley-arms, such bushing being of any suitable construction-such, for instance, as shown in my United States Patent No. 634,260, granted October 3, 1899.

For pulleys of large diameter and wide faces I prefer to employ the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the belt-receiving or face portion H being shown as a preferably nonflanged strip of sheet metal of suitable length, width, and thickness bent into annular form, with its ends disconnected, and each half of the belt-receiving portion provided with a plurality of supporting-webs II two being .the face portion of the pulley.

herein shown as secured to each diameter of the face portion by suitable rivets or. other fastenings 12, extended through the face portion and through lateral flanges 7t on the outer circumferences of the supporting-webs. The separable arms D in this embodiment of my invention are made as channel-irons having longitudinal stitfening'flanges (1 extended from one to the other end thereof along their edges and riveted or otherwise secured, as at 15, to the ends of the supporting-webs H the arms in their general characteristics otherwisebeing the same as the arms A, hereinbefore described, they being provided with seats at and divergent portions 61 through which the clamping bolts or devices are extended. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 each half of the divided pulley is substantiallya box-truss, giving a most rigid, strong, anddurable construction, combined with light weight. The ends of the arms D are outturned to form transverse lips or flanges d (best shown in Fig. 6,) and riveted to the face portion, as hereinbefore described. The width of the arms in either of the constructions shown will be preferably as nearly as possible equal to the width of It will be manifest from the foregoing description that the springiness or elasticity of the face portion of the pulley permits the opening or closing of the same. An inspection of Fig. 2 will reveal the slight separation of the adjacentends of the flanges h of the supporting-webs I-I when the pulley is open or unclamped, as at 300, adjacent the contiguous inner ends of the arms D.

\Vhile I have herein shown two practical embodiments of my invention, I have not attempted to show or describe the various changes or modifications which may be made in the construction of the same without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and accordingly my invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A split pulley comprising a one-piece, transversely-divided face portion, two opposite,semicircular sheet-metal supporting-webs flanged along their outer edges and connected throughout their length with the face portion, and two separable arms connected at their ends with the face portion and also attached to the ends of the webs.

2. A split pulley comprising a one-piece, transversely-divided face portion, two opposite, semicircular supporting-webs connected throughout their length with the face portion, and two separable sheet-metal arms connected at their ends with the face portion and also attached to the ends of the webs, each arm havinga stiffening-flange, extended from one to the other end thereof.

3. A split pulley comprising a transversely- ICC IIS

divided face portion, two opposite, semicircular supporting-webs connected throughout their length with the face portion, and two separable arms connected at-their ends with the face portion, each arm having a stiffening-flange extending from one to the other end thereof, and the ends of the supporting webs being attached to said stiffening-flanges.

4. A metallic split pulley comprising a one-- piece, transversely-divided sheet-metal face portion, two opposite, semicircular supporting-webs connected throughout theirlength with the face portion, and two separable arms rigidly secured at each end to the face portion and also to the ends of the said webs.

5. A split pulley comprising a transverselydivided face portion, two opposite semicircularsupporting-webs, flanged along their outer edges and connected thereat with the face portion, and two longitudinally-flanged, separable arms connected with the semicircular supporting'webs.

6. A split pulley comprising a one-piece, transversely-divided face portion, two opposite scmicircular supporting-webs connected throughout their length with the face portion, and two separable arms having oppositelyconcaved seats and connected at their ends with the face portion, the ends of the supporting-webs being also attached to said arms.

7. A metallic split pulley comprising a transversely-divided sheet-metal face portion, two opposite, semicircular supportingwebs connected throughout their length with the face portion, and two separable arms having outwardly-bent transverse flanges at their ends to which the face portion is attached, each arm having a longitudinal stifieniugflange on its outer face.

8. A split pulley comprising a one-piece, transversely-divided sheet-metal face portion, two sheet-metal arms having central, oppositely-concaved seats and straight ends,

' rigidly scoured at each end directly to the face portion, the arms diverging from their straight ends to the seats, and semicircular supporting-webs interposed between the face portion and the arms and attached to each.

9. A split pulley comprising a transversely divided sheet-metal face portion, two springarms rigidly connected at both of their ends with the face portion and having oppositelyconcaved seats, and a semicircular supporting-web interposed betweeneach arm and the face portion, each web being flanged along its outer edge and attached to the face portion throughout the length of the flange.

10. A split pulley comprising a transverselydivided sheet-metal face portion, two springarms rigidly connected at both of their ends with the face portion and having oppositelyconcaved seats the arms diverging toward said seats, a semicircular sheet-metal supporting-web interposed between each arm and the face portion and attached to the latter throughout the length of the web, and means mounted upon the divergent portions of the arms to draw themtogether and thereby clamp the pulley upon a shaft or other support.

11. A split pulley comprising a face orbeltreceiving portion disconnected at its ends, a plurality of pairs of semicircular supporting- Webs secured to the two halves of the face portion, and arms provided with seats and rigidly connected with the face portion and the pairs of supporting-webs, an arm and its attached pair of webs together with the corresponding half of the face portion of the pulley constituting substantially a box-truss.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. CLARK. 

